Newly Diagnosed

I am a newbie when it comes to sleep apnea as I was just recently diagnosed. I was having problems at 1st getting used to the cpap machine and the full face mask so I did not use it for a few days. I talked with my nurse that is provided to me as part of my insurance and she had a few suggestions on what I could do to help make it easier. Such as putting it on a few hours before you go to bed as you watch TV that seemed to help some what. But I am still tired and still unable to sleep most days.

Being sleepy and not being able to get to sleep are my only problems .I use the ResMed AirSense 10 and Full Face mask and they have something that tells you if your mask has a good seal or a bad seal. The seal is another problem for me because it seemed to be telling me I had a bad seal no matter what I did. I could also hear air blowing, and felt air on my eyes and a farting like sound as well. So because of that I contacted the people who provide my cpap machine so they looked up my sleep report and found out that my mask leaks several times during the night. So much so that they are sending me a new mask.

As I said before I am still very tired during the day and would like advice on how to address this situation

Hang in there, from what you write it sounds like you are making advances. First off, you contacted a nurse to explain the problems you were having. You have also reached out for help on this forum. You are looking for ways to improve your therapy and that is great. The tip about wearing the mask while watching TV is a great one and is something I have suggested myself many times before. Also when you get your new mask trying laying down with it in the bed with the full amount of pressure on while awake. the mask can fit great while sitting up but once you get to bed and start changing positions it can be a whole different story. So put the pressure on, roll around and see if you can learn how to seal the mask better while you are awake and more willing to work with it then when it's 3 am and leaking. Being tired and not being able to sleep can be two troubling problems. if the sleep apnea is what is making you sleepy but you haven't been able to fully use the treatment and also use the treatment without leaks you won't be able to see the full benefits of the therapy. keep trying, see how the new mask goes. come back to the forum for more help if needed!

Your story sure sounds familiar because it is exactly what I went through. The DME folks who gave you the mask are often not all that great at actually fitting them properly. I was first given a mask that was a size too large and it leaked like a sieve. You just can't get to sleep properly with air blowing in your eyes. The mask was a Simplus full face, by the way. I discovered MASK PADS. These are pieces of cotton cloth cut in the rough shape of the mask with a hole in the middle and go between the mask and you skin. These stopped the air in the eyes and the rude noises you describe. Thought I was there but then I decided to buy a one size smaller cushion for the mask on my own dime and found that it fit MUCH BETTER. Still had to use the mask pads but was at the point where leaks were tamed pretty much AND no air in the eyes and no noises. Thought I was there and then I tried an Amara View mask. The cushion was the right size on my initial try and most nights NO LEAKS AT ALL. I did find that I have to use a mouth guard (like the ones football players or MMA guys use) to keep my jaw from going slack and my mouth opening at night which was a huge reason for leaks... the full face mask would end up in my mouth! Many folks have the same issue so be aware that this can be the real source of leaks beyond a poorly designed or poorly fitted mask.

What I am saying is trial and error and see what works for others is the key. Take this therapy in hand yourself as you are your best soiurce of smart decisions. Resmed provides the myair.resmed.com website which allows you to monitor leaks and your AHI and this can be a valuable source of feedback for your progress. There are also software tools out there if you want even more information but I haven't used them as the myair info is sufficient for my limited understanding as it provides all the info I need. Good luck and keep us up on your progress.

The tiredness will go away once therapy is effective and threapy will become effective once you figure out how to make it WORK FOR YOU.

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